The Summit of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) will take place in Buenos Aires, and will focus on the danger of US military bases in Colombia
QUITO, August 10.— Presidents and heads of State of South American countries signed the Quito Declaration on Monday, which emphasizes in the importance of integration and cooperation for the region, as a strategy to jointly face the world economic crisis.
GROUP LEADERS.
“In view of the deterioration of the basic wellbeing of million of citizens in our region, we reaffirm the need to boost sustainable development, bearing in mind the concepts of freedom and social inclusion,” states the document signed by the heads of State of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).
The declaration highlights the commitment to create help and cooperation mechanisms for the countries most badly hit by the crisis, in order to strengthen integration.
The document reaffirms the commitment to democracy as the only system to face the current challenges and giving more hope and opportunities to our peoples.
The heads of State said that talks and negotiations are the only way to settle differences, and build peace and long lasting coexistence.
“We will not recognize, in any way, the alteration of institutional, democratic order,” the text reads, and it also condemns the coup d´etat in Honduras and demands the immediate restitution of the constitutionally elected president of that country, Manuel Zelaya.
INTERMEZZO
President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, warned that the seven military bases the United States are to create in Colombia pose a threat for the region. “I’m fulfilling my moral obligation to warn you that the winds of war are beginning to blow,” he said and noted that this situation could end tragically.
Argentinean President Cristina Fernández also warned of the warmongering climate that in an unprecedented, intolerable way is arising in South America. Fernandez offered the city of Buenos Aires as the venue for the extraordinary meeting, where Colombian President, Álvaro Uribe, who didn’t attend the Quito meeting, should be present.
Correa said that this decision of the government of Colombia is an extremely dangerous issue for his country and South America.
Speaking of the seriousness of the US presence in Latin America, Bolivian President, Evo Morales, said that members of the Southern Command had taken part in the coup d´etat in Honduras last June 28.
Morales asked the Union of South American Nations to save the Colombian people from the American soldiers, because one thing is the governments and another is the people.
Before the imminent agreement between Colombia and the United States on military bases, the UNASUR must call for an in-depth debate on the relations with the United States, said Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. “As the Brazilian President, I am upset about the atmosphere of uncertainty the region is living today,” he said.
At the meeting, Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa, was appointed pro tempore chairman of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), at a ceremony held in the chapterhouse of the San Agustin Convent.
When receiving the chairmanship from his Chilean counterpart, Michelle Bachelet, Correa recalled that that same chapterhouse had been the scenario of the first call for independence of this nation on August 10, 1809. (PL)
